New Delhi: The government has framed new rules to strengthen consumer rights on e-commerce platforms, with the regulations set to take effect from January 1, 2027. The measures are expected to rein in practices such as misleading discount claims, biased search rankings that favour select brands or sellers, hidden add-on charges, and improper use of consumer data.
The move follows a surge in complaints to the National Consumer Helpline. Of the 17.71 lakh complaints received in 2025, 5.13 lakh were linked to online commerce, prompting authorities to tighten safeguards for shoppers.
Under the new framework, platforms offering products at discounted prices must clearly display both the current price and the “previous price”. The previous price is defined as the lowest price at which the product was sold in the past 30 days, a step aimed at preventing price hikes ahead of sales to project inflated discounts.
The rules also seek to curb manipulation of search results that could influence consumer choices. Platforms will be barred from giving unfair preference to their own products or to specific sellers or items, and any paid placements must be prominently labelled as advertisements so users can distinguish them from organic results.
Addressing concerns around “dark patterns”, e-commerce firms will be required to conduct an annual self-audit to ensure compliance and display the audit certificate on their website or app. The rules further mandate clear pre-purchase disclosures on expiry dates, return and refund policies, warranty, delivery and payment details, transparent display of the final payable amount, and explicit, affirmative consent for the use of consumer data.
